Position Summary and Purpose

The Registered Nurse (Hospital-Based) is a competent registered nurse that will deliver nursing care to patients of varying age groups, burn injuries, and other complex diagnoses by utilizing the nursing process and nursing practice standards, as well as the American Burn Association Burn Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. The Burn Registered Nurse (Hospital-Based) uses:

• Nursing Practice Competencies and American Burn Association Burn Nurse Competencies to intervene to achieve safe, optimal patient and family centered care health outcomes;

• Leadership Competencies to coordinate patient care and communicate with the care team;

• Professional Profile Competencies to develop professionally as a life-long learner, and

• Practice Outcomes Competencies to evaluate care based on evidence, the UofL Health quality model, and patient safety goals.

The Burn Registered Nurse (Hospital-Based) demonstrates competency caring for complex/burn patients and participates on the care team to improve the quality of care in the clinical area.

Essential Functions:

Under the direct supervision of the Burn Clinical Nurse Manager this position will provide nursing care to patients, including:

· Conducts systematic, continuous, and comprehensive assessments of patient health status from admission or encounter to discharge across the care continuum to ensure patient safety, collaborating with the healthcare team, patient, and family; care addresses all aspects of the individual and family, including age, gender, spiritual, cultural, physical, psychosocial and patient preferences and proactively uses safety surveillance to prevent adverse outcomes.

· Collaboration with health care provider to adequately provide stabilization and fluid resuscitation through continuous monitoring of systemic changes related to burn injury i.e. assess adequate end organ perfusion, compartment syndromes, acute kidney injury, and hemodynamic stability.

· Appropriately assess the severity of the burn injury utilizing evidence-based practices of depth of injury assessment and total body surface area calculations.

· Provide comprehensive wound assessment and management to burn and complex wound injuries incorporating extensive training for debridement techniques, topical burn/wound management, cellular and tissue-based products, and graft and donor site care.

· Independently administers medications per licensure authority, assesses and reassesses the effects of these medications, and documents administration in a timely manner per policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements; consistently adheres to patient safety guidelines regarding all aspects of medication administration.

· Provide ongoing assessment and interventions related to the rehabilitation phase of burn/wound healing, hypertrophic scar development, and contracture prevention.

· In collaboration with patient and family, plans care using current scientific knowledge, theory, and care standards within the nursing interventions and outcomes framework and national patient safety goals; constructs individualized, age-specific plans for optimal patient and family outcomes, as appropriate to the practice setting; incorporates data from the multi-disciplinary care team into the plan of care to assure continuity and appropriate patient teaching.

· In collaboration with patient and family, identifies and prioritizes patient problems based on subjective and objective assessment data, patient safety considerations, patient and family goals and preferences, and nursing interventions and the medical plan of care.

· Implements nursing care interventions to meet patient and family center health care needs. Demonstrates competent skills, appropriate clinical judgments and chain of command to promote patient safety and reach planned care goals and outcomes.

· Competently and consistently assesses, conducts and evaluates the outcomes of patient and family teaching, from admission, or episode of care, to discharge, teaching reflects sensitivity to age, learning needs and cultural background.

· Evaluates care by performing regular and systematic reviews of patient /family responses to interventions; revises the multi-disciplinary plan of care in collaboration with other care Team members to promote desired outcomes; recognizes care variances and takes steps to prevent or intervene with potential or real adverse events to promote safe care.

· Serves as an advocate for the patient and family, demonstrates respect for their rights, responsibilities, and sensitivity to their preferences; prepares the patient and family for discharge including burn/wound dressing changes and burn clinic follow up; obtains feedback to promote positive patient satisfaction outcomes.

· Works collaboratively, with appropriate monitoring and delegation, with unlicensed assistive healthcare providers, per regulatory and legal requirements, assuring safe patient care delivery.

Other Functions:

• Demonstrates professional conduct and appearance and is accountable for actions and outcomes.
• Orients new members of the healthcare team as well as supervises students in the performance of assigned duties.
• May act in the role of relief charge nurse when the unit need arises.
• Maintains professional competency through continuing education, ongoing competency demonstration, licensure and professional activities; demonstrates valuing life-long learning.
• Participates in evidence-based practice activities, such as Burn Nursing M&M, and discusses outcomes of care with colleagues, demonstrating knowledge of care indicators; takes steps to improve care delivery by self and team and remains up to date with compliance, regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Actively participates as a collaborative member of the healthcare team by communicating constructively using core behavioral standards. Identifies clinical and interdepartmental problems, resolving conflicts appropriately on behalf of the care team and patients; demonstrates ability to give and receive peer review and feedback, incorporating this into his or her practice.
• Performs duties in a cost-effective manner, striving to avoid wasting hospital resources without jeopardizing quality of care and service.
• Maintains compliance with all company policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.
• Complies with HIPAA privacy and security requirements to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Completes and maintains burn specific nursing education including, but not limited to Burn Nurse Orientation, ABLS, and Burn Nurse Competencies.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

(Education, Experience, Licensure and Certification)

Education:

· Graduate of an accredited baccalaureate program of nursing (preferred)

Experience:

· Minimum 1 year of bedside nursing experience (preferred)

Licensure:

· UofL Health will accept a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) from the NCSBN in lieu of a Kentucky Nursing License, per the KBN

Certification:

· BLS (required)

· ACLS and ABLS (preferred or obtained within 1 year)

· CBRN (preferred)

Job Competency:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities critical to this role:

· Must have strong relationship building skills and the ability to make and use connections throughout UofL Health to complete projects and maintain strong partnerships with other departments.

· Must have strong initiative and be able to gather and analyze information skillfully and be able to brainstorm alternative resources and directions.

· Must be able to break down complex tasks into manageable parts in a systematic, detailed way and consider input from several sources.

· Must be detail orientated in gathering relevant data while attending to essential details, checks work for accuracy and quality.

· Must be able to problem-solve by identifying and resolving problems in a time manner, as well as develop alternative solutions when needed.

· Must have great flexibility and the ability to continually look for ways to make appropriate adjustments and changes – rather than identifying why things cannot be accomplished.

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Language Ability:

· Must be able to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats.

Reasoning Ability:

· Able to critically think through complex patient situations, process improvements, evidence-based practice.

· Able to assist others in developing clinical reasoning skills.

Computer Skills:

· Must have strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

· Must have the capacity to learn other relevant systems and databases, as needed.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates a commitment to service, organization values and professionalism through appropriate conduct and demeanor at all times.

• Maintains confidentiality and protects sensitive data at all times.
• Adheres to organizational and department specific safety standards and guidelines.
• Works collaboratively and supports efforts of team members.
• Demonstrates exceptional customer service and interacts effectively with physicians, patients, residents, visitors, staff and the broader health care community.